A film blog for students of my classes at Santa Clara University. Use this blog to discuss the films we are studying, classic films, current releases or production issues you encounter while making your own films.
Monday, January 25, 2016
The W screenplay model - for Comm 130B
Apply the W screenplay model to the structure of your own screenplay. Where does it work? When, or if, does it not apply?
20 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The W screenplay model fits into my screenplay. The main character is confronted by a magical group who offers her a box that gives her the power of persuasion. In the beginning, she seems hesitant to take the box or even use it. The first plot point, or the point of no return, is when she first uses the box on her parents. When she sees that it works on her parents, the MC is tempted to see what other things she can get away with. However, her perception of it being a gift of endless opportunities changes once she sees her friends' families concerned about where their children are. The second plot point is when she decides to turn herself in to the police for killing her friends in an alcohol related car accident. From there, it's revealed that from the time that she received the box, she was actually put in a virtual world. A virtual world which tested her morals.
The W model works with my screenplay for the most part. The MC has her son taken from her. At this point, she must decide between love and survival and chooses survival, taking a nannying job so that she has her basic necessities met. She bonds with the family and the kids adore her. The second major plot point comes when the mother overhears the MC and the youngest child say "I love you" to each other and the mother gets defensive and territorial, uncomfortable with the MC's major role in her children's lives. Eventually, all is resolved when the MC decides to prioritize the love for her son over all else. In an open-ended final scene, the MC buys a plane ticket to go and find him.
The W model works with my screenplay as well. The first major plot point occurs when the MC is kissed by her best friend, which is seen by her coworkers, who then ridicule her. Plot point number 2 occurs when the leader of her group of coworkers confronts her violently, and steals her phone. Following this, MC realizes what is really important in life and stops caring about her coworkers opinions, and repairs her relationship with her best friend.
The W Screenplay Model fits into my screenplay. The main character is left alone to take care of his child while attending college. At this point he must decide between responsibility or irresponsiblity, he decides to become more responsible and try to provide for his child while also trying to become more of an adult. Plot point number 2 occurs when the MC is left in a vulnerable and desperate position, he has no job, he is about to be evicted, and he is on academic probation, despite all of his efforts. Eventually the MC's mother comes to his aid during his dark hour and insists on helping him raise the child.
My screenplay can be analyzed through the w model. The first plot point comes with the kidnapping. The character's decision to steal Bella while she was sleeping becomes a determining factor in shaping a complex relationship between the main characters. This leads to a long relationship development until Bella learns t fall in love with the MC. The change in Bella's attitude towards the MC could be considered by some as a plot point. Lastly, the last twist comes when the two are discovered by Bella's father who later accidentally shoots his own daughter. Therefore, the W model does apply to my screenplay with a few elements that help enhance the story that go beyond the discussed main plot points.
The W Model does work with my screenplay. Since it is a family melodrama with internal conflicts, the W model might not be too obvious, but yes it can be applied. The first plot point comes when the twin sisters confront their father once and for all about his estranged relationship with his son. They act out for the first time in their lives and make him face reality. The second plot point occurs when the father finally enters his wife's private room, a room he has never gone into before. The third plot point comes when the father finally picks up the phone to call his estranged son, completing the W model.
I believe the W model does work with my screenplay. The first plot point comes through the scene where Leopold is found bashing in his brothers car with a bat. This scene shows just how bad his situation is. The second plot point occurs when Leopold is taken away to the rehab camp. He is forced to decide whether he will commit to recovery or continue to go down his dark path. THe third plot point is when Leopold overdoses. His goal to recover from his addiction and the death of his brother is not fulfilled. The W model is complete, and clearly a tragic tale.
I believe that my work does not work with my screenplay. I have far too many twists and turns to be able to fit into the W model because my MC is so back and forth about what she wants. It works in certain places such as the inciting incident of Kate going missing, however it does not work after that. I believe I have too many plot twists. Because of this, I am concerned that my screenplay does not follow the correct structure.
I believe the W model does work with my screenplay. The first plot point occurs when we see Alice and her business partner Serena running their successful cocaine trade at their university. We then see Serena starting to get into trouble and start using their product, which leads to the middle of the W where their system is investigated by law enforcement. Then, there is the build up to Alice framing Serena to take the fall for their business, and Alice leaving after the deed is done. I believe my screenplay follows this model fairly well.
I think the W model works pretty well with my screenplay. The initial plot point happens when Violet life takes a sour turn when her mother has an affair and consequently gets divorced from Violet's father, remarries and has another child. All Violet wants is a normal, cohesive family, so this is incredibly detrimental to her wellbeing. We watch Violet sink deep into depression, self-medicating and isolating herself from her family. The next plot point is Violet's mother getting cancer, with a 50% chance of surviving. Violet finds herself internally conflicted, as the mother she so deeply despises may not be around for very long. The third plot point comes after months of chemotherapy and radiation, when Violet's mother beats her illness. The ending is a positive one, as the illness was a blessing in disguise and Violet is able to forgive her mother and restructure her vision of a good family.
I believe that the W model does not work for my screenplay. I think that my story is too heavily based on just one event leading to a steam of dialogue that carries the entire story. I don't think my screenplay will follow this exact W model format because of the nature of the script being set almost entirely in one or two conversations with little twists and changes.
The first plot point occurs when Laura denies that she was raped and starts a rumor that the MC only reported the incident to the police because she is obsessed with Laura and her lover, who was really her rapist. Cali’s subsequent ostracism by her friends and college community sends her into a deep depression. She second plot point comes when she decides to move out of state. In her new home, Cali must decide whether she will allow herself to be controlled by society or be free. The final point is when Cali decides to move beyond her past and live free of societal norms. I believe that my screenplay follows the W model.
The W model does work for my film. The first plot point and the point of no return would be when Lila arrives at camp and goes to her audition and meets the antagonist, Natalie. At this point she realizes her competition isn't who she's used to and starts to create a strategy to be on top. The second point would be when she turns Natalie in for drinking and the campers turn against her. She's now very alone and realizes she's made some selfish mistakes at the sake of her peers. The final plot point is when she has a heart to heart with her roommates bringing all of this to life and them accepting her for her flaws and vise versa. I realize my first plot point may be a little too far into the screenplay so I might need to adjust my timeline so it is not stagnant.
My screenplay does not fit the W model well and follows more of the independent model. The MC is getting ready for school but makes the first decision to not go and goes on a journey. Throughout the story the MC is faced with many choices to make, but moves the plot based off of other characters. There is no midpoint in the screenplay as the viewers are watching the MC move in the plot. At the end, there is a near revelation that the MC understands what he did is wrong, but does not resolve the issue ethically.
My screenplay does follow the W model. Plot point one occurs when Clay gets kicked out of his house and cutoff from his family. Clay's parents give him 2 options and chooses to leave, bringing the story into the second act. This is his point of no return. Clay then must explore his living options, which turns out to be on a school bus. The midpoint occurs when Clay accidentally sets the school bus on fire and he is left truly homeless. This event thrusts Clay towards plot point 2 when he decides to turn his life around and get a job, leading to the resolution. Plot point 3 occurs when Clay decides to resolve his issues with his family and sends them a letter to begin the process of reconciliation. This 3-act structure completes the W model of my screenplay.
The W model fits my screenplay pretty well. My screenplay opens up with the MC waking up going about his daily life when he realizes his dreams are coming true. This is the first major plot point. Afterwards, we follow the MC on his journey where he continues to try and get the girl. He forgets his friends and other important things in his life because of her. The midpoint occurs when he fails miserably. After this, we watch the MC give up and finally go out with his friends. The second plot point occurs when he sees her and decides to leave her be because he realizes there are other important things in the world than finding love. After this, we see the MC accept this as it leads to the resolution. The resolution is a positive ending instead of a negative one when he meets the girl he had been trying to meet the whole time.
In "The Train Ride," the first downward angle happens as my MC imagines a random young man calling her "Mom" while on a train headed back to her hometown. She is also visibly suffering from tuberculosis. The MC then continues trying to focus on the present (Avoidance) by looking out the window, clearly trying to avoid eye contact with children. Her eyes start wandering off, however, to children on the train, and this leads to her emotional instability and realization to the fact that she can't avoid this topic forever. When she is transparent like this in front of a mother, she asks if MC wants to hold her baby, to which MC lets a good cry out and virtually/vicariously reconciles with her own biological son who is now hopefully adopted into a good family. Although the film won't end with a straightforward resolution, MC now is able to accept and identify herself as a once-mother and strikes up the courage to even hope that her son has been surrounding himself with people who taught him how to love.
My screenplay follows the W model fairly well. ACT 1: Just after moving into a new city by herself with her puppy, my main character (Mandy) finds out that she needs to find a date to her sister's wedding. This sets up a challenge that she must face. She sets up a lot of coffee dates which all go terribly, and ends up hitting it off with the barista (Mitch) who has watched all of this unfold. ACT 2: She is confident in her choice of date and proud of herself. Her and Mitch have gotten along really well so far, but when she brings him to the wedding things don't go well. Her grandfather is outraged that she brought a mixed race boy to meet the family, and he has a heart attack (midpoint). After the wedding, she loses faith in herself and breaks up with Mitch. She agrees to let her sister set her up on a date with a boring, but stable, guy. This date is a dud and she realizes that even though Mitch wasn't quite right, neither are the guys her family wants for her; she realizes that you can't just decide who you're going to be with. ACT 3: Mandy is totally settled into her apartment now and has a routine that makes her happy. She takes her dog to the park every few days, and eventually has a meet-cute with a guy. Their future is unknown, but the audience should be left with a positive feeling. Side note: I'm thinking about having parallel moments with her dog and her dates; if her dog doesn't like Mitch, but does like the guy at the end, it could show the differences in the men.
My screenplay follows the W model for the most part. It's at the point where Liza is forced home where I go away from the model in that she is not the one is is forcing the change. ACT 1: After heading off to college, Liza begins to have 'flashbacks' about how she used to act in high school. Her depression began to hit her hard and anxiety was overwhelming her. Her challenge is dealing with her own emotions until her brain takes over her. Her reality was becoming skewed and little to Liza's knowledge, she has schizophrenia. ACT 2: Liza was able to use the voices in her head to her advantage (at least in her mind) in order to avoid getting kicked out of school. Her best friend, Marlee, had been plotting against her to get evidence that Liza has been helping people get illicit drugs. Although it was true, Liza had no control over her actions or her thoughts while being consumed with this horrible disorder. Liza was trying to convince her kindhearted and caring boyfriend, Sean, about what Marlee had been doing but Sean was trying to stay level headed. He knew Marlee wouldn't do this and was beginning to worry about Liza. One day during class, Liza was giving a presentation about the brain in her Anatomy class and sees Marlee walk down the hall. Liza rushes home to find Marlee but no one was home (midpoint). She is searching for the evidence in Marlee closet and finds a stack of paper with pictures of her. Liza began to panic and calls Sean to come over. He was busy and couldn't make it so Liza was on her own. She begins to take the papers to the bathtub and lights them on fire. A spark goes awry and catches a towel, which makes Liza's thoughts begin to spin. She runs out of the house and calls the fire department. They get there in time to put the fire in the bathroom out, but Marlee comes home and finds her thesis paper that she had been working on for a year burnt to a crisp. Marlee is sent home to Phoenix with her parents who have also been plotting against her to get her out of the house. ACT 3: Although this isn't Liza making the decision to change, she is taken to the hospital. She receives care and gets help but Liza is having a hard time coming to terms with her disorder. The intense week of therapy that she undergoes has her head a little clearer. She meets a man who had schizophrenia and they bond over their disorder. Liza becomes comfortable in this environment and moves back home after a while. She is able to get a job at a local art studio where she is able to play piano occasionally for the customers and her mind is at ease. Liza is able to ease back into society and goes to the local community college to finish her degree. Her mission now is to advocate for those with schizophrenia and to help them become part of a culture with less stigma on this beautifully complicated disease.
20 comments:
The W screenplay model fits into my screenplay. The main character is confronted by a magical group who offers her a box that gives her the power of persuasion. In the beginning, she seems hesitant to take the box or even use it. The first plot point, or the point of no return, is when she first uses the box on her parents. When she sees that it works on her parents, the MC is tempted to see what other things she can get away with. However, her perception of it being a gift of endless opportunities changes once she sees her friends' families concerned about where their children are. The second plot point is when she decides to turn herself in to the police for killing her friends in an alcohol related car accident. From there, it's revealed that from the time that she received the box, she was actually put in a virtual world. A virtual world which tested her morals.
The W model works with my screenplay for the most part. The MC has her son taken from her. At this point, she must decide between love and survival and chooses survival, taking a nannying job so that she has her basic necessities met. She bonds with the family and the kids adore her. The second major plot point comes when the mother overhears the MC and the youngest child say "I love you" to each other and the mother gets defensive and territorial, uncomfortable with the MC's major role in her children's lives. Eventually, all is resolved when the MC decides to prioritize the love for her son over all else. In an open-ended final scene, the MC buys a plane ticket to go and find him.
The W model works with my screenplay as well. The first major plot point occurs when the MC is kissed by her best friend, which is seen by her coworkers, who then ridicule her. Plot point number 2 occurs when the leader of her group of coworkers confronts her violently, and steals her phone. Following this, MC realizes what is really important in life and stops caring about her coworkers opinions, and repairs her relationship with her best friend.
The W Screenplay Model fits into my screenplay. The main character is left alone to take care of his child while attending college. At this point he must decide between responsibility or irresponsiblity, he decides to become more responsible and try to provide for his child while also trying to become more of an adult. Plot point number 2 occurs when the MC is left in a vulnerable and desperate position, he has no job, he is about to be evicted, and he is on academic probation, despite all of his efforts. Eventually the MC's mother comes to his aid during his dark hour and insists on helping him raise the child.
My screenplay can be analyzed through the w model. The first plot point comes with the kidnapping. The character's decision to steal Bella while she was sleeping becomes a determining factor in shaping a complex relationship between the main characters. This leads to a long relationship development until Bella learns t fall in love with the MC. The change in Bella's attitude towards the MC could be considered by some as a plot point. Lastly, the last twist comes when the two are discovered by Bella's father who later accidentally shoots his own daughter.
Therefore, the W model does apply to my screenplay with a few elements that help enhance the story that go beyond the discussed main plot points.
The W Model does work with my screenplay. Since it is a family melodrama with internal conflicts, the W model might not be too obvious, but yes it can be applied. The first plot point comes when the twin sisters confront their father once and for all about his estranged relationship with his son. They act out for the first time in their lives and make him face reality. The second plot point occurs when the father finally enters his wife's private room, a room he has never gone into before. The third plot point comes when the father finally picks up the phone to call his estranged son, completing the W model.
I believe the W model does work with my screenplay. The first plot point comes through the scene where Leopold is found bashing in his brothers car with a bat. This scene shows just how bad his situation is. The second plot point occurs when Leopold is taken away to the rehab camp. He is forced to decide whether he will commit to recovery or continue to go down his dark path. THe third plot point is when Leopold overdoses. His goal to recover from his addiction and the death of his brother is not fulfilled. The W model is complete, and clearly a tragic tale.
I believe that my work does not work with my screenplay. I have far too many twists and turns to be able to fit into the W model because my MC is so back and forth about what she wants. It works in certain places such as the inciting incident of Kate going missing, however it does not work after that. I believe I have too many plot twists. Because of this, I am concerned that my screenplay does not follow the correct structure.
I believe the W model does work with my screenplay. The first plot point occurs when we see Alice and her business partner Serena running their successful cocaine trade at their university. We then see Serena starting to get into trouble and start using their product, which leads to the middle of the W where their system is investigated by law enforcement. Then, there is the build up to Alice framing Serena to take the fall for their business, and Alice leaving after the deed is done. I believe my screenplay follows this model fairly well.
I think the W model works pretty well with my screenplay. The initial plot point happens when Violet life takes a sour turn when her mother has an affair and consequently gets divorced from Violet's father, remarries and has another child. All Violet wants is a normal, cohesive family, so this is incredibly detrimental to her wellbeing. We watch Violet sink deep into depression, self-medicating and isolating herself from her family. The next plot point is Violet's mother getting cancer, with a 50% chance of surviving. Violet finds herself internally conflicted, as the mother she so deeply despises may not be around for very long. The third plot point comes after months of chemotherapy and radiation, when Violet's mother beats her illness. The ending is a positive one, as the illness was a blessing in disguise and Violet is able to forgive her mother and restructure her vision of a good family.
I believe that the W model does not work for my screenplay. I think that my story is too heavily based on just one event leading to a steam of dialogue that carries the entire story. I don't think my screenplay will follow this exact W model format because of the nature of the script being set almost entirely in one or two conversations with little twists and changes.
The first plot point occurs when Laura denies that she was raped and starts a rumor that the MC only reported the incident to the police because she is obsessed with Laura and her lover, who was really her rapist. Cali’s subsequent ostracism by her friends and college community sends her into a deep depression. She second plot point comes when she decides to move out of state. In her new home, Cali must decide whether she will allow herself to be controlled by society or be free. The final point is when Cali decides to move beyond her past and live free of societal norms. I believe that my screenplay follows the W model.
The W model does work for my film. The first plot point and the point of no return would be when Lila arrives at camp and goes to her audition and meets the antagonist, Natalie. At this point she realizes her competition isn't who she's used to and starts to create a strategy to be on top. The second point would be when she turns Natalie in for drinking and the campers turn against her. She's now very alone and realizes she's made some selfish mistakes at the sake of her peers. The final plot point is when she has a heart to heart with her roommates bringing all of this to life and them accepting her for her flaws and vise versa. I realize my first plot point may be a little too far into the screenplay so I might need to adjust my timeline so it is not stagnant.
My screenplay does not fit the W model well and follows more of the independent model. The MC is getting ready for school but makes the first decision to not go and goes on a journey. Throughout the story the MC is faced with many choices to make, but moves the plot based off of other characters. There is no midpoint in the screenplay as the viewers are watching the MC move in the plot. At the end, there is a near revelation that the MC understands what he did is wrong, but does not resolve the issue ethically.
My screenplay does follow the W model. Plot point one occurs when Clay gets kicked out of his house and cutoff from his family. Clay's parents give him 2 options and chooses to leave, bringing the story into the second act. This is his point of no return. Clay then must explore his living options, which turns out to be on a school bus. The midpoint occurs when Clay accidentally sets the school bus on fire and he is left truly homeless. This event thrusts Clay towards plot point 2 when he decides to turn his life around and get a job, leading to the resolution. Plot point 3 occurs when Clay decides to resolve his issues with his family and sends them a letter to begin the process of reconciliation. This 3-act structure completes the W model of my screenplay.
The W model fits my screenplay pretty well. My screenplay opens up with the MC waking up going about his daily life when he realizes his dreams are coming true. This is the first major plot point. Afterwards, we follow the MC on his journey where he continues to try and get the girl. He forgets his friends and other important things in his life because of her. The midpoint occurs when he fails miserably. After this, we watch the MC give up and finally go out with his friends. The second plot point occurs when he sees her and decides to leave her be because he realizes there are other important things in the world than finding love. After this, we see the MC accept this as it leads to the resolution. The resolution is a positive ending instead of a negative one when he meets the girl he had been trying to meet the whole time.
In "The Train Ride," the first downward angle happens as my MC imagines a random young man calling her "Mom" while on a train headed back to her hometown. She is also visibly suffering from tuberculosis. The MC then continues trying to focus on the present (Avoidance) by looking out the window, clearly trying to avoid eye contact with children. Her eyes start wandering off, however, to children on the train, and this leads to her emotional instability and realization to the fact that she can't avoid this topic forever. When she is transparent like this in front of a mother, she asks if MC wants to hold her baby, to which MC lets a good cry out and virtually/vicariously reconciles with her own biological son who is now hopefully adopted into a good family. Although the film won't end with a straightforward resolution, MC now is able to accept and identify herself as a once-mother and strikes up the courage to even hope that her son has been surrounding himself with people who taught him how to love.
My screenplay follows the W model fairly well. ACT 1: Just after moving into a new city by herself with her puppy, my main character (Mandy) finds out that she needs to find a date to her sister's wedding. This sets up a challenge that she must face. She sets up a lot of coffee dates which all go terribly, and ends up hitting it off with the barista (Mitch) who has watched all of this unfold. ACT 2: She is confident in her choice of date and proud of herself. Her and Mitch have gotten along really well so far, but when she brings him to the wedding things don't go well. Her grandfather is outraged that she brought a mixed race boy to meet the family, and he has a heart attack (midpoint). After the wedding, she loses faith in herself and breaks up with Mitch. She agrees to let her sister set her up on a date with a boring, but stable, guy. This date is a dud and she realizes that even though Mitch wasn't quite right, neither are the guys her family wants for her; she realizes that you can't just decide who you're going to be with. ACT 3: Mandy is totally settled into her apartment now and has a routine that makes her happy. She takes her dog to the park every few days, and eventually has a meet-cute with a guy. Their future is unknown, but the audience should be left with a positive feeling.
Side note: I'm thinking about having parallel moments with her dog and her dates; if her dog doesn't like Mitch, but does like the guy at the end, it could show the differences in the men.
My screenplay follows the W model for the most part. It's at the point where Liza is forced home where I go away from the model in that she is not the one is is forcing the change.
ACT 1: After heading off to college, Liza begins to have 'flashbacks' about how she used to act in high school. Her depression began to hit her hard and anxiety was overwhelming her. Her challenge is dealing with her own emotions until her brain takes over her. Her reality was becoming skewed and little to Liza's knowledge, she has schizophrenia.
ACT 2: Liza was able to use the voices in her head to her advantage (at least in her mind) in order to avoid getting kicked out of school. Her best friend, Marlee, had been plotting against her to get evidence that Liza has been helping people get illicit drugs. Although it was true, Liza had no control over her actions or her thoughts while being consumed with this horrible disorder. Liza was trying to convince her kindhearted and caring boyfriend, Sean, about what Marlee had been doing but Sean was trying to stay level headed. He knew Marlee wouldn't do this and was beginning to worry about Liza. One day during class, Liza was giving a presentation about the brain in her Anatomy class and sees Marlee walk down the hall. Liza rushes home to find Marlee but no one was home (midpoint). She is searching for the evidence in Marlee closet and finds a stack of paper with pictures of her. Liza began to panic and calls Sean to come over. He was busy and couldn't make it so Liza was on her own. She begins to take the papers to the bathtub and lights them on fire. A spark goes awry and catches a towel, which makes Liza's thoughts begin to spin. She runs out of the house and calls the fire department. They get there in time to put the fire in the bathroom out, but Marlee comes home and finds her thesis paper that she had been working on for a year burnt to a crisp. Marlee is sent home to Phoenix with her parents who have also been plotting against her to get her out of the house.
ACT 3: Although this isn't Liza making the decision to change, she is taken to the hospital. She receives care and gets help but Liza is having a hard time coming to terms with her disorder. The intense week of therapy that she undergoes has her head a little clearer. She meets a man who had schizophrenia and they bond over their disorder. Liza becomes comfortable in this environment and moves back home after a while. She is able to get a job at a local art studio where she is able to play piano occasionally for the customers and her mind is at ease. Liza is able to ease back into society and goes to the local community college to finish her degree. Her mission now is to advocate for those with schizophrenia and to help them become part of a culture with less stigma on this beautifully complicated disease.
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